When one guy leaves, another one steps in.

In Norwich’s case, when one really good basketball player finishes his high school playing career, another good one seems to step to the forefront – every single season. The Tornado boys lost their leading scorer and rebounder (Richie Bonney) and top playmaker and assist man (Derek Hughes) to graduation. What remained was a returning lineup devoid of any varsity starting experience.

“When we looked at this team, we thought it was important that Jon (Foulds), Dennis (Oralls), and Seth (Thomsen) be the nucleus that we build around,” said longtime NHS head coach Mark Abbott. “These are the guys that had the most varsity playing experience, and they’re relishing their roles.”

For Oralls, the transformation from a spot reserve to a starter and leading scorer has been nothing short of remarkable. The junior guard, in the words of Abbott, could not have had a much better start to the 2010-2011 season.

Oralls was the epitome of efficient and effective in scoring a game-high 29 points in an opening-season win over Chenango Valley last Friday. He took only 11 shots, making seven, and was 4-for-5 from beyond the three-point arc. At the foul line, the Warriors continually fouled Oralls, and he kept knocking the shots down to the tune of a 12-for-12 effort – the best success rate for that many foul shots in Abbott’s tenure. To go with his points, Oralls also grabbed nine rebounds and dealt four helpers.